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The Chisago Lakes tennis team season ended at Mahtomedi Friday October 6. The Zephyrs, third ranked in the state, beat the Wildcats 7-0 in the first round of the Section 4AA Tournament.

Meet Summary vs. Mahtomedi

1S Alyssa Lundberg lost 1-6, 1-6

2S Kristen Dobosenski lost 0-6, 0-6

3S Kristen Lee lost 0-6, 1-6

4S Michelle Caneday lost 2-6, 0-6

1D Kate Boynton/Tracy Schneider lost 4-6, 2-6

2D Jess Olson/Christina Leaf lost 1-6, 0-6

3D Gretchen Richter/Megan Corradi lost 1-6, 1-6

“We knew it was going to be a tough one for us.  The players were nervous going into the match and who could blame them,” said Chisago Lakes head coach Steve Otte.  “Once the matches began, they relaxed and played some better tennis. The scores for the match are not what is important.  What is important is that they realized that a top team like Mahtomedi isn’t just going to blow them off the court.”

Section 4AA Individual Tourney

Six Chisago Lakes players represented their school at the Section 4AA Individual Tennis Tournament Friday, October 13th.  Due to the weather, the tournament was played indoors at the Moore Lake Tennis Club. 

Kristen Dobosenski played a strong player from Centennial.  “Kristen served very well in the match.  She was just outplayed by a more consistent tennis player,” said Wildcat head coach Steve Otte. Dobosenski lost 1-6, 1-6. “Dobo has a nice game, but needs to really focus on hitting into the corners.  If she can mover her opponents around next year, she will do really well.”

Alyssa Lundberg was matched against a familiar Blaine player.  “This was the second time that they faced each other this year.  You could tell Alyssa likes indoor tennis because she played a nice match,” Otte said.  “Although Alyssa lost, 2-6, 3-6, she did some really nice things on the court.  Compared to last year, she is a more patient player.  To make a strong stance next year, she needs to become even more patient on the court.  That means being a smarter player also. I look forward to watching her next year.

“Jess Olson and Christina Leaf had a really bad draw for this tournament.  They got the number one seed in the section from Mahtomedi.  They lost 1-6, 0-6, but played well in their loss,” the coach commented.  “They hit some nice shots in their match and were not totally overwhelmed by the other team.  The main focus for both of these girls is to work on the consistency of their returns for next year.  When they are able to get 80 percent of their returns back in play next year, they are going to see a lot more success on the court.”

Kate Boynton and Tracy Schneider also played a team from Blaine, for the second time this year. The Blaine team won 6-1,6-2. “Blaine did a better job of serving and returning serves and that was the main difference in the match,” coach Otte said.  “Kate is the lone senior this year and Tracy will be back to anchor first doubles next year. I am curious to see who works hard in the off season and is ready to take Kate’s position next year with Schneider,” Otte continued.  

“All the girls are coming back except for Kate. Kate’s leadership and skill as a player will be missed on the court next year,” Otte said. He refered to his squad as a, “great team of players that have fun together, both on and off of the court.  They remain optimistic no matter what happens out there on the court, and that is awesome. 

“The junior varsity played well this year and some of those players are chomping at the bit to play varsity tennis next year.  It is going to be interesting to see what the team looks like next fall,” the coach concluded.

The Wildcats will conclude their season with an end of the season banquet Tuesday, October 24.

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